Covington, Northshore powerlifters claim IPF world titles in Malta

The International Powerlifting Federation World equipped sub-junior and junior championships recently took place in Malta, and St. Tammany Parish was well represented with 13 lifters competing.

Covington senior J.T. Sylvera and Northshore junior Jackson Bice took home world titles.

Bice, who was seeded first at 163 pounds, won the sub-junior (14 to 18-year-old) category. The junior, a three-year lifter, squatted 529 pounds, benched 363 (new PR), and deadlifted 518 to post a 1,410-pound total.

“It was kind of hard to fathom at first that I came home a world champion, but my dedication and hard work paid off. Powerlifting is my main hobby, and I’m pretty good at it. I’m committed to training six days a week,” Bice said.

“I didn’t realize how big a deal it would be competing in Malta in my first Worlds, so I had to adapt. I was confident with my coaches putting me in the best situation to win.”

Bice, who hopes to powerlift in college, has undergone two knee surgeries in November of 2022 and 2023 but worked his way back to become a world champion.

Sylvera became a world champion in the 130-pound sub-junior category with lifts totaling 1,226.5 pounds. He squatted 440 pounds, benched 280.5 to set a new PR, and deadlifted 506. He attempted a world-record deadlift of 544.5 pounds but was unsuccessful.

“I feel like I’m on top of the world, coming home a world champion. It’s like a dream come true. All my hard work has paid off, and I’m extremely grateful to my great coaches,” said Sylvera, who has been lifting for three years.

The Lions also had two second-place finishes in the girls competition. Covington senior Lila Cooper, competing at 125.4 pounds, finished second with lifts totaling 875 pounds, a new PR. She posted a 336-pound squat, a 215-pound bench and a 324-pound deadlift.

“It was such a great opportunity, competing at worlds. I’m so grateful for my family and friends’ ongoing support. Their love and backing pushes me to be my best, competing in such a male-dominated sport. Malta was so beautiful, and the people were very friendly,” Cooper said.

“Formally, I want to thank coach John (Burford) for being my biggest supporter and giving me the confidence to step on the platform, regardless of the situation. He’s always so positive and encourages me to do my best.”

Cooper, who won the gold medal in the bench press, also took gold earlier this summer at the Bench World Championships in Austin.

“The bench press is my favorite event,” she said. “My plan is to continue working hard, pushing to be better next year, with a goal of taking home a world championship.”

Dwayne Coleman, a 2024 Salmen graduate, earned a second-place finish in the super heavyweight class (over 264 pounds) with lifts totaling 2,039.2 pounds. Coleman squatted 870.8 pounds, benched 501.5 pounds and deadlifted 666.8 pounds. He finished second to Sweden’s Axel Isberg, coming up about 45 pounds short.

“I missed two attempts, my third squat and my third deadlift, which ended up being the difference from becoming a world champion. My opponent deserved it, making the lifts he needed,” Coleman said. “It was a good, tough competition, and I enjoyed competing at my first worlds. I’m so grateful for the experience, and I’m looking forward to returning to capture a world title next year.”

Covington senior Kaylee Robin earned a second-place finish in the sub-junior 167-pound weight class. She finished with lifts totaling 1,003.1 pounds, including a 385.8-pound squat, a 297.6-pound bench and a 319.7-pound deadlift.

“For whatever reason, it wasn’t scary going into the competition. I had a calm mind and just wanted to do my best. Ultimately, I believe it was a good competition, even though it wasn’t my best. I made some new friends from the USA team, and that was special,” Robin said.

Robin finished second to Ukraine’s Ivanna Holinei, a repeat winner. Robin said she admired her Ukrainian competitor for being able to repeat as a two-time world champion.

“The competition was loads of fun, and Malta was amazing,” Robin said. “The water was super pretty, but there wasn’t much sand on the beaches, mainly rocks. I’m looking forward to qualifying again for next year’s worlds. My goal is 100% to strive for the very best next year and come out on top.”

U.S. national team third-year head coach John Burford, who is also the powerlifting coach at Covington, said the U.S. contingent of 36 lifters included 12 from St. Tammany Parish. Of those dozen, five are current high school students, and seven are in college.

“I’m extremely proud of our lifters’ performance. They had good meets without any shortcomings. It’s satisfying to see them do well, and it validates all their hard work and commitment. As coaches, you prepare by training hard, hoping to win, and it’s nice when the athletes can come through, dealing with the different scenarios,” Burford said.

Burford was joined by assistant coaches Scott Meyers (Covington), Tom Beale (Northlake Christian) and Casey Calderone (Northshore).

“Nothing would be possible without the assistant coaches putting in their dedication and ongoing input, working with the kids. It’s a total team coaching effort, and I just play a small part in helping the athletes get through their journey,” Burford said.

“International competition is notorious for being judged tightly. It’s also the quickest meet they’ll compete in. The athletes do their lifts in roughly a three-hour period whereas a high school meet may take up to six or seven hours, so they must make that major adjustment.”

Covington senior Camille Crutcher captured second place at 103 pounds, with lifts totaling 655 pounds. Covington graduate Nicolas Calidonia took second in the 130-pound category, lifting a combined 1,256 pounds. Northlake Christian graduate Jasmine Barlow registered a second-place finish in the 95-pound category (462 pounds lifted).

Covington graduate Chase Lawton competed at 205 pounds and finished fourth (1,835 pounds lifted). Northlake Christian graduate Reese Hamilton was seventh at 130 pounds, lifting a combined 898 pounds. Hannan alumnus Corey Charleston was seventh in the 231-pound weight class (1,603 pounds lifted).

Two other Covington graduates competed at worlds but were unable to register a total. Landon Diepenbrock had the fifth best bench total (341 pounds) in the 145-pound weight class. Lola Cheramie participated at 125 pounds, recording the best deadlift (385-pounds) in her weight class.